How could diet affect pneumonia?

There is minimal evidence that diet affects pneumonia. A cohort study found that increased coffee, tea, oily fish, and fruit were associated with a reduced risk of developing pneumonia, while increased red meat intake was associated with an increased risk of developing pneumonia.^[1] Given that this is observational data, controlled studies are needed to better determine the relationship between dietary patterns and pneumonia. Regardless of dietary pattern, people with pneumonia must meet their daily nutritional needs, as severe malnutrition in both young children (<5 years) and older adults (>65 years) with pneumonia is associated with an increased risk of mortality.^[2][2] Some studies have also found that increasing energy and protein intake can improve health outcomes in people who are hospitalized for severe pneumonia.^[3][4]